The world of mobile apps experienced remarkable shifts in 2024, with new trends redefining how consumers engage with their devices.
Consumer spending on mobile apps reached $150 billion globally in 2024, marking a 13% year-over-year increase, according to Sensor Tower’s latest State of Mobile report. While overall app downloads dipped slightly to 136 billion, time spent on mobile devices climbed to 4.2 trillion hours, showing a continued reliance on smartphones.
Spending on non-gaming apps grew faster than games for the fourth consecutive year, with categories like film & television streaming and social media leading the pack at $11.9 billion and $11.7 billion, respectively. However, AI chatbots emerged as the year’s breakout trend, propelled by the popularity of apps such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Doubao. Consumer spending in this category reached $1.1 billion, a 200% year-over-year increase, while time spent on AI apps like Character AI exceeded 7.7 billion hours. Apps mentioning AI collectively saw 17 billion downloads, pointing to widespread interest in AI-powered features.
Streaming apps continued to grow in revenue, but engagement showed signs of slowing as users balanced screen time across multiple platforms. Meanwhile, apps designed to enhance physical-world experiences gained momentum. Food and drink apps saw notable growth, with more companies using mobile platforms to streamline customer interactions. Downloads in this category rose by 8.5%, while user sessions increased by 9.2%.
Finance apps maintained steady growth as digital wallets and mobile banking gained traction, with downloads reaching 7.5 billion. Chinese retail giants Temu and SHEIN expanded their global presence, leading the retail category in downloads across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Oliver Yeh, CEO and co-founder, Sensor Tower, said: “Apps have shifted their monetisation strategies to capitalise on increased attention, finding innovative ways to streamline and improve consumers’ digital experience. As we look ahead, we expect to see more apps experiment with AI, finding novel and creative ways of incorporating the technology.”
Several apps achieved significant milestones, including ChatGPT, which saw its user base climb to 50 million monthly active users, faster than platforms like Disney+ and YouTube Music. In gaming, titles such as Last War and Brawl Stars surpassed $1 billion in annual consumer spending, joining the ranks of the industry’s top performers.